Enduring Life
by Kiefer I
Summary: The Combine are coming for one last push against humanity. However, that is Gordon's second priority. A bit of Alyx/Gordon. Rated T for some violence and a birth scene. *little spoilers*
1. Chapter 1

_Um, I really have no excuse for this story. :) Another fun but corny Half-life story that sort of fits into Valve's universe. It takes place after Episode 3, guessing that Alyx and Gordon destroy the Borealis. Although I have no idea if the characters survive after Episode 3, but I'm gonna just take a gamble. Please, enjoy. _

_I do not own Half-life 2. _

**Enduring Life**

After a few moments of annoying beeping, Gordon Freeman clicked the "rest" button on the "alarm clock". The clock stated in a hollow female voice that it was 6:05 AM. He groaned as he lifted himself out of bed, his feet retracting after touching the cold cement floor. After testing the floor again, Gordon reached for his glasses on the metal nightstand next to him. He then stood up and stretched his body.

"Okay," he called out, turning back to the bed. "It's time to get up."

Alyx Vance grumbled under the blankets, refusing to get out into the bright light.

"C'mon", Gordon repeated, now smiling. "You need to get up."

No answer.

He then grabbed the blankets and swooped them off of the bed, revealing Alyx curled up in a ball. Her eyes were pursed together, trying to shield out the sunlight. After a few seconds of trying to fall back to sleep, she reluctantly opened her eyes. She looked over at her husband and smiled.

"Oh, man. I hate mornings."

Gordon chuckled.

"Your gonna miss your appointment."

Alyx's face turned to worry. She then checked the clock.

"Hmm," she though. "Okay, then." She raised herself out of the bed . . .struggling. She wore shorts and an old Black Mesa T-shirt, now stretched to the limit by her big belly. Alyx was eight months pregnant.

Gordon leaned against their large dresser, staring at Alyx. She noticed.

"What?" She asked, smiling at his loving glance. He walked up closer.

"I just don't seem to get used to how beautiful you look with that tummy."

Her heart fluttered. Gordon then started carefully rubbing her stomach, leaning down to see if he could hear the baby. After a few moments of silence, he leaned back up and kissed Alyx gently.

"Alright," Alyx grinned. "We need to go."

Gordon agreed. Dr. Forest was waiting for them.

---

The celery stick had no chance. Alyx crunched a piece off, trying to chew silently. Her and Gordon had come to the medical wing of Green Base; an old bunker nestled in the mountains, ready for their daily ultrasound. Alyx took another bite of her food, as the doctor was about to apply the sensory devise on her exposed stomach. Dr. Forest looked over, smiled and held out her hand. Alyx hesitated, but gave in, relieving the celery stick.

Forest then proceeded to rub the sensor back and forth, allowing the computer to pick up with baby. On a nearby screen, a digitized 3D model of the baby was created. After making sure that she had covered every detail, Dr. Forest walked towards the screen to assess the health of the child. She took a few notes on her touchpad and turned towards Gordon and Alyx with a smile on her face.

"Well, she is very healthy. Everything looks to be going smoothly."

Gordon gave out a small sigh. Lately, he had been a bit worried about Alyx and the baby. He could handle zombies and aliens . . .but this was something else. Even though Dr. Forest gave the good news, Gordon was still a bit worried. Alyx new this about him. She gently grasped Gordon's goatee covered chin and pulled his face close, giving a gentle kiss. She pulled back and gave him a stern stare as if to say, "It's going to be alright. Stop worrying." Gordon nervously smiled.

"Well, that's good." Alyx stated. "Do we have a time frame?"

Dr. Forest thought for a moment.

"I'm going to have to say . . ." The tapped a pen against her lips. "Three weeks."

Alyx's face lit up. She was becoming excited about the new arrival.

---

Before leaving Dr. Forest's office, the intercoms lining the long passageways came to life.

"Dr. Freeman, to Office 37, please." The speakers boomed. "Dr. Freeman, to Office 37, please. Thank you."

Gordon turned to Alyx, almost asking permission with his eyes.

"Go on," she said, waving her hand down the hall. "I'll be fine. Just be home by dinner."

Gordon chuckled at the last comment. Alyx never made dinner, or at least, a "tasty" dinner. He darted down the hallway, leaving his wife to hobble down the opposite way, clutching her belly.

Gordon reached Office 37 and entered, finding Dr. Isaac Kliener hunched over a computer screen. The balding scientist turned to greet Gordon.

"Ah, Gordon. How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Good . . .good." Kliener fiddled with his glasses, informing Gordon that he was nervous about something. Kliener seemed to be stalling.

"Um . . .how's Alyx and the baby?" he asked, his voice slightly quivering.

"They're fine. The baby is healthy." Gordon took the stern approach. "What's wrong, Izzy?"

Dr. Kliener stood silent for a moment.

"The Combine are on the move again."

Gordon was stunned. After the destruction of the Borealis, the Combine became devastatingly low on soldiers, making easy for the rebels to fight them. This past year, the resistant managed to crush the last of the Combine. However, Gordon was not expecting for them to regroup.

"Our remote sensors picked them up moving through Perrith Passage. We estimate at least two thousand troops, two packs of Hunters and three striders."

Gordon leaned back onto a desk, trying not to fall in shock. That kind of army would obliterate the rebels, who were only five hundred strong in the surrounding area. If the Combine were moving thru Perrith Passageway, that would mean that they were on their way here. A force that size would destroy Green Base.

"This is their last effort," Kliener continued, "if we manage to defeat them, then we'll eradicate the Combine from our sector. If not . . ." Kliener couldn't go on. Gordon knew what he was going to say. If the Combine managed to destroy Green Base, they would regain control of the region, maybe even the whole country.

"We need to get ready." Gordon simply stated. He exited the room, clenching his fists in fury. He knew that if he failed in stopping the Combine, that his family would pay the price. Worry stricken, Gordon jogged down the hallway, looking for Barney Calhoun


	2. Chapter 2

The small orientation room was dark, but Gordon could make out the faces of about one hundred men. They had been gathered in this room to receive a briefing on the approaching enemy forces. Barney Calhoun stood atop a box, so that every soldier in the room could see him. Behind Barney was a small board for writing on. Gordon was in the back of the room, behind the crowd of rebels.

"Alright," Barney began, speaking loud so everybody could hear. "The Combine are on their way to Green Base." The room started buzzing with conversation between the rebels. Barney raised his hands, shushing the audience.

"We estimate their force to be two thousand strong with armor support."

The room became silent with shock.

Barney then turned to the board behind him and drew small pictures of two mountains and a box.

"They are moving up the mountains towards our position, thru Perrith Passage. We are going to hold a line here . . ." He pointed at the box next to the mountains. "Ken Town." His voice grew low.

"We are sending three hundred and fifty of you and your soldiers down into that town. The rest will stay here at Green Base, just in case." He then drew an squiggly line moving from the town to between the mountains. "If the Ken line fails, we will have to rely on our last defense."

Gordon listened intently to Barney's orders, but was distracted by Alyx, moving into the room. She scuttled next to Gordon, holding a bowl of stew in her hands. He was about to protest, but realized that he would lose the argument.

"What do you have there?" Gordon whispered, glancing at the bowl of soup. She slurped up a spoonful before answering.

"Carl's world famous stew."

Gordon's face scrunched up in disgust.

"Hey," Alyx said, "It was all the kitchen had."

"No wonder you're so fat," Gordon joked, wanting to receive a reaction, in which he did. Alyx smacked him in the arm.

"As I recall, it was you who made me this fat." She smiled.

Gordon whispered his apology and kissed her fore head. But Alyx's attention was directed towards Barney, who changed the subject to Striders.

"We have Magnusson devises placed all over town. When those Striders get within range of the town, I want your explosive experts to start pounding those nightmares. The Hunter's will be dealt with your weapon's specialists within your squads. Any questions?" A moment of silence passed.

"Okay, we leave in three hours."

Everyone in the room rose from their seats and headed out the door, barking orders to each other. Gordon turned to Alyx, whose face was flushed with worry. He caressed her face.

"It's going to be fine."

Alyx cocked her head to the side in annoyance. She had heard that line many times. Sometimes, it was true. Other times . . .people died. Gordon noticed that she was still worried. He brought her closer to him, embracing her in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm coming home," he said softly. "I would never abandon you two." Alyx smiled. Now she believed him. She pulled herself closer in his embrace. He then hissed. Alyx pulled back to ask what was wrong. He was rubbing his back when he whispered, "Your soup." Alyx laughed, realizing that she forgot about the bowl of stew in her hand. She had spilled a bit of the hot soup on his back when they were hugging.

"Sorry, Gordon." She leaned over and kissed him gently.

---

The keypad created a few sounds, indicating that Gordon had punched in the right code. The bulkhead door slid to the side, allowing him to enter the small room. The room was round and the only furnishing was a small bench at the center of the room. At the far side was a glass cocoon, holding Gordon's old Hazard Suit. He grinned. It had been months since he had seen the thing. He walked up to the glass and called out, "Open." The computer registered his voice and obeyed, sliding the glass out of the way.

He pulled the orange armor from it's home and played it down on the bench. He then began to strip his outer clothes. The HEV pants went on first, slipping comfortably onto Gordon's legs. He then pulled the top half of the suit onto his body. It still fit perfectly. He zipped and snapped the two main pieces together, creating a full body suit. The gloves and boots came next, both connecting perfectly with the other components. As the pieces came together, the suits computer came to life, and, in a female's voice, started naming off the operational components of the HEV's capabilities. He stretched his arms, loosening the rubber grip beneath. He was happy to be back within his old armor.

Before he could test each capability of the suit, Alyx whistled. Gordon turned to find his wife leaning against the door frame.

"Still fits I see." Alyx grinned.

Gordon looked down at the suit, making sure that everything was buckled. Alyx walked up, grabbing the top half of Gordon's armor and shook it, adjusting the alignment of the pieces. She looked up at his eyes with concern.

"Come back safely."

Gordon nodded. He then grabbed her hands and leaned his forehead onto hers. They stood there in silence, gazing into each other's eyes. The intercom in the room buzzed.

"Gordon Freeman to Garage B."

Gordon gave out a sigh. Alyx slightly smiled and deeply kissed her husband. After this show of affection, Gordon knelt down and kissed Alyx's stomach. He then rose from the floor and walked out, glancing one last time over his shoulder at his love before leaving. Alyx watched as her husband disappeared behind the heavy bulkhead door. She gave out a long sigh.


	3. Chapter 3

Gordon was tired. He and the other rebels had been jogging down the mountain to the town of Ken for about two hours. When reaching the town, Gordon was a bit disappointed. The "town" consisted of twenty houses placed side-by-side. Separating the middle of the town was the strip of road lined with an assortment of shops. The forest grazed the opposite side of town, while the mountains occupied the other.

Barney walked up next to Gordon with a smirk on his face.

"Cute town, eh?"

Gordon just frowned.

"Not for long."

---

It took the rebels a few hours to build their defenses. The "strip" was blocked by a pile of burning cars and lined with "hoppers" or jumping mines. Barney had assigned groups of rebels to hide out in the buildings with rockets and Magnusson devices. Gordon took his place on the strip, along with the bulk of the rebel army. He checked the small clock under his wrist. _3:13. _

"Combine should be here in an hour." He said to himself.

---

"Hey, doc!" Alyx called out, spotting Dr. Kliener inside of the observation room. The room was lined with large screens, each one containing an image of the surrounding mountains and forests.

Kliener turned and smiled. "Alyx, my dear! What a surprise." He walked over to his 'niece' and pecked her on the cheek. "How are you?"

Alyx rolled her eyes. "I feel . . .fat."

Kliener chuckled. "Well, I guess that the way you should feel."

"Ha, right." Alyx set herself into a small chair in the corner. "How are we doing?"

Kliener turned towards the screens and studied the surrounding area.

"The Combine ARE coming. If you can look hard enough, you can see movement there." He said, pointing at the forest on one of the screens. Alyx squinted her eyes, straining to see the Combine. She could see small specs moving through the trees.

"Yep," she revealed. "I can see 'em."

"They will be at Ken Town soon." He turned, facing Alyx. "Maybe you shouldn't be present for this."

Alyx was about to argue, but felt a bit of foreign pressure run through her body. Kliener noticed a confused look fall on Alyx's face.

"My dear. Are you okay?"

Alyx felt the pressure go away as suddenly it came.

"Um . . .I'm fine. Just felt a bit weird a second ago."

"Maybe you should see Dr. Forest." Kliener stated, concerned for her wellbeing.

Alyx sighed as she lifted herself from the chair. "Yeah. That's a good idea. I'll see you later." She embraced Kliener for a moment and left the room. Kliener resumed his duties at the monitors, following the Combine's every move.

---

Gordon jogged across the street, keeping himself low. As he traveled down the road, he ordered his soldiers to stay down and quiet. He finally stopped, resting himself behind a demolished car. The entire army of rebels were pointing their gun down the street leading towards the forest, ready for the invaders. As Gordon rested his head against the car's door, he could hear heavy, nervous breathing from his troops. However, this was not the only thing he could hear.

A low thumping noise reverberated below his boots. Gordon had heard this noise many times: it was the heavy stepping of a Strider. This sound was accompanied by a distant screeching, created by Hunters. The sounds were growing close with each moment.

Gordon checked his weapons again, making sure he was ready. His Gravity Gun was slung behind his back, along with his shotgun. His belt carried his two pistols and grenades. His Submachine gun was in his hands, filled with grenades.

Barney ducked into the car next to Gordon's, cocking his Pulse Rifle with a smile.

"Here they come." He said, somewhat cheery like.

"Yep," was all Gordon could say, gripping his SMG tighter.


	4. Chapter 4

Alyx felt like her legs were going to fall off. She hadn't calculated the amount of walking it would take to get from the Observation room to Dr. Forest's work area. The bulkhead she was looking for came into view down the hall. Suddenly, she felt the same pressure she had experienced earlier. Alyx paused for a moment, letting the feeling go away. After traveling the last steps, she leaned against the door to catch her breath and pressed the intercom next to the bulkhead.

"Dr. Forest?" she called.

The speaker crackled a "yes?"

"It's Alyx. I'm feelin' a bit weird. Do you think . . ." The pressure came again, this time with a bit more power. She gave out a small grunt. Before Alyx could press the intercom again, Dr. Forest appeared from behind the door.

Forest noticed that her patient was a bit hunched over. "Alyx? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Alyx replied, feeling it go away again. "It's gone now."

"Please," Forest motioned through the door, "Come in."

----

Gordon stayed as quite as he could. The sound was dangerously close now. The Combine would pour out of the woods at any second. He could hear faint radio chatter emitting from the trees. The tops of the trees started swaying, indicating the Strider's a stone throws away. '_Here they come,' _ Gordon said to himself, trying not to admit the fear welling up inside.

The noises died.

Gordon looked over his cover, seeing if he could spot the enemy. He could see nothing. Barney turned from his hiding place and frowned. '_How could the noises have stopped?' _

Just as the thought came to Gordon, the woods erupted with gunfire. Gordon was taken off guard as thousands of rounds pinged off of his car.

"Open fire!"

The woods were pouring with Combine soldiers, all of them charging towards the town. The bulk of the force set their sights on the main strip, traveling towards Gordon's position. Gordon snarled as he pointed his gun down the street and fired.

---

Dr. Forest checked and re-checked the data, worry entering her features. After a few moments of silence, Forest turned to Alyx, who was sitting on the metal table.

"Well," she said, frowning. "It seems as your contractions are coming."

Alyx's eyes widened. "What?"

"It seems that the contractions are coming earlier than expected. And, from what you've told me, they are coming faster with each moment."

"Yeah, but . . ." The pressure came back, bringing pain with it. Alyx hissed.

"Alyx," Forest cooed. "I think the baby is coming."

A mixture of emotions flooded into her mind. First, she was overjoyed at this news.

Second, was fear. She realized that Gordon wasn't going be here for the birth. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Gordon."

---

Dust and debris flew as pulse rounds hit the stonewall Gordon was hiding behind. The masked Combine soldiers were slowly moving up the main strip, causing problems for Gordon and his men. He shoved a few more shells into his shotgun before turning back and firing at a squad of Combine. It was replied by more enemy fire. He cursed under his breath as the bullets continued to pound his position.

They were doing a good job of holding the Combine on the street, but Gordon knew that the "heavy equipment" would come any minute now. His guess was answered by the screeching of Hunters . . .three of them. The three-legged monsters galloped from the trees towards the rebel line, firing their explosive fletches. Gordon watched in horror as five of his men erupted in front of him.

"Crap," he shouted, fury controlling his actions. He grabbed a lone pulse rifle on the ground and checked the secondary barrel. To Gordon's relief, an energy ball was still inside. He quickly cocked the rifle and shot it towards the nearest Hunter. The ball flew strait into the Hunter's main body, causing it to rise slowly up into the air, sparkling with electricity. It soon disintegrated in mid-air.

Before Gordon could celebrate, the ground began to shake. The trees began to part, revealing a large Strider moving towards the town. Soon after, a second Strider moved from the forest, whooping loudly. The first charged up its main gun, shooting a massive laser at a three-story building, which collapsed from the blow. A large dust cloud emitted from the fallen building, covering the area with a yellow mist.

Gordon could never get used to how scary these things were.

"Okay," He talked to himself. "this is getting better."


	5. Chapter 5

The searing pain was coming every five minutes now. Alyx lay atop the metal "bed" located in Dr. Forest's office, now wearing a sort of paper 'dress'. She had been lying there for an hour now, timing the growing contractions. Dr. Forest stood next to her, timing the pains as well. The baby was defiantly coming. It was only a matter of time now. After another wave of pressure, Alyx looked at Forest.

"You need to tell Gordon!"

Forest looked down at her patient.

"Alyx, I don't think . . ."

Alyx began breathing hard. "Please. He has been with me through everything."

Forest was about to protest, but thought it better not to argue with a hormonal woman. She agreed and moved towards the nearest intercom. She pressed one of the buttons and called through the mic.

"Vince? It's Dr. Forest. Could you get Gordon Freeman on the line?"

---

Gordon cursed as a grenade landed next to his feet. In a panic, he jumped into the nearby bookstore, crashing through its front display window. The grenade exploded, sending rock and dust into the atmosphere. The Combine were pushing their way down the strip, causing the rebels to slowly retreat. The Strider's were creating perfect cover for the enemy forces.

Gordon shoved a few more grenades into his SMG before returning to the fight. He peered over the broken glass, spotting numerous Overwatch jogging down the street. He emptied his clip on the opposing forces, dropping six enemies before running out of bullets.

Barney ran out from his hiding place and positioned himself next to Gordon within the bookstore. They both reloaded in unison as more pulse fire whizzed over their heads. Gordon was about to return fire when his radio suddenly came to life.

_"Gordon? Do you read?"_

He could barely hear the voice over the noise.

"Yeah!" He shouted over the explosions. "I read you!"

_"Gord . . .Lyx."_

"What? Repeat that!"

_"The baby is coming!"_

Gordon felt his heart rocket towards his throat. His eyes widened. Barney had heard the news and was shocked himself. The pair looked at each other in fear for a moment.

_"Gordon?"_ the radio called.

"Oh, no." was all he could say.

His mind raced. More than anything in the world, he wanted to be by Alyx's side during this momentous occasion. This was impossible, seeing that he was pinned down and surrounded by the last Combine forces. Plus, if he left his troops, the Combine might push through their lines, and would make their way to Green Base, destroying the facility. He would have to stay.

---

The contractions were three minutes apart now. Alyx was taking deep breaths the way Forest had taught her, trying to keep her mind off of the pain. A notion came across her mind: Gordon wouldn't leave his troops, knowing that if the Combine broke the rebel line, they would destroy the base. Alyx still wanted him here, though.

"Dr. Forest," She called out, "Can you call Kenny to come here?"

Dr. Forest opened her mouth to argue, but closed it as Alyx gave a harrowing glare. She walked over towards the intercom again and called Kenny.

A few minutes later, the young rebel entered the room, somewhat worried as soon as he saw Alyx on the table. Alyx spotted Kenny and motioned him to come closer.

"I need you," she asked between breaths, "to take five of your men . . . to go to the town . . . and relieve my husband."

Kenny's brow frowned. "But, I was assigned . . ."

Alyx's hand lashed out, grabbing Kenny's olive sweater and pulling him close to her face.

"GET GORDON, NOW." She hissed though her teeth. Fear entered the young man's face. He slowly backed away, moving towards the door. He then bolted down the hallway towards his squad.

---

The group of rebels cheered as the first Strider fell to the ground. Gordon had thrown a Magnusson device at the first Strider, allowing the rebels to fire upon the explosive device, causing the behemoth to implode. However, Gordon had no cheer within him. He was too worried about Alyx and the baby. As if on cue, his COM unit activated again.

"Gordon? We are sending a squad down there to replace you. E.T.A. five minutes."

A small pang of relief hit Gordon. He was glad for the assist. His goal now was to destroy the last Strider.

Gordon pushed the activation button on his COM. "I want all rocket units to direct their fire on the last Strider!" The soldiers obeyed. Five rockets shot out from different parts of the town, each one impacting against the Strider's hull. It stumbled for a moment, spewing out painful moans. It regained it footing and directed its fire on a nearby flower shop, destroying half of the building. After one more barrage of rockets, the Strider fell to the ground, dead.

Now, the only Combine left were a thousand Overwatch troops and a couple of angry Hunters. Two hundred rebels stood between this force and Green Base.

The Combine were spreading through the town, clearing each building of its rebels. Gordon ordered his forces to retreat, realizing that the rebel line on the strip was dwindling. They would move towards the mountains, hoping that the high ground would give them an advantage. He and Barney ran down the road, firing their guns blindly behind them. Suddenly, a random explosion sent Gordon to the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

As the dust settled, Gordon's vision slowly regained. He groaned as he rose from the broken ground, spitting out glob of red fluid. The grenade had almost killed him, but luckily, the Hazard Suit took most of the blow. A plethora of dents and scratches lined the H.E.V., remnants from the blast. He shook the remaining dust off of his shoulders before retrieving his fallen gun from the ground.

Near Gordon's position, Barney picked himself off of the ground.

"Wow." He stated, still a bit dizzy. "That hurt."

Before the pair could celebrate their good fortune, the clamber of Combine chatter filled the air. Gordon spun around to spot dozens of soldiers running towards their position. He felt his arm being pulled and turned to see Barney tugging at his elbow.

"Come on!" Barney shouted. "Let's go!"

Gordon obeyed, keeping pace with his companion. He then felt the air around him light up with pulse rifle fire. They kept low, dodging the incoming enemy fire, ducking in between cover. They were almost to the edge of town and the mountain when a lone Hunter jumped out from a nearby house, crashing through its front door. It gave out a loud screech towards its incoming prey. Gordon and Barney immediately ducked for cover, landing in a large impact crater. Now, the Combine soldiers were slowly advancing from behind, while a Hunter blocked the pair's way forward.

Gordon peeked over the edge of the crater, trying to find a way out. The Hunter spotted the top of his head and attacked, sending Explosive fletches towards Gordon. To his own amazement, Gordon was able to crouch down in time, allowing the darts to fly harmlessly over the crater.

"Nope," Gordon thought. "No way out."

Suddenly, he heard a loud crash. He looked up in time to see a hot rod ram into the Hunter, killing it instantly. The occupants of the car cheered as the monster crumpled to the ground. Both Gordon and Barney cheered as well, both exiting the crater. The driver of the vehicle exited the car, smiling at Gordon. He then waved jokingly at the car.

"Your chariot, good sir."

Gordon walked up and rested his hand on the young rebel, his eyes full of joy.

"Thank you, Kenny. I owe you one."

"Oh, yes you do. Now get going. She's waiting for you." Kenny chuckled. Five other rebel soldiers pilled out of the small, yellow hot rod, allowing Gordon to take the ride. He eased in behind the wheel. As he shifted the gears into 'reverse', Gordon smiled, knowing the last time he had driven this car was about a year ago, when he and Alyx raced D0g to White Forest. It was still in good shape. It was fitted with the standard radio and radar, along with an ammo canister connected to the back. It even had a Magnusson devise cradled on the back bumper.

He started to pull away, when Barney waved his good-bye.

"Don't worry, Gordon! We'll handle things here. Just give Alyx my love!"

Gordon nodded. He then pushed the gas pedal, sending the car into a roaring spin, pointing towards the mountains. His hand pushed the stick shift towards to 'drive' gear. He then pushed the pedal again, sending the car forward.

---

Gordon was halfway to Green Base when a horrible realization hit him. He stopped the car, screeching in the middle of the ascending mountain road. Dr. Kliener had said there were three Striders. However, only two attacked the town. That would mean . . .

He suddenly threw the stick into reverse, moving the car around to return to Ken town.

Suddenly, a low hum vibrated through the air. Gordon strained to hear the noise, but was unable to hear over the garble of the engine. He turned the car off, so as to hear more clearly. The hum was echoing across the mountains, so it was difficult to pin down its origin.

He exited the car, looking across the vast forests and mountains, hoping for a glimpse of approaching sound. After scanning the open area for a moment, he remembered what made that humming noise. It was a Combine dropship. As soon as he came to this realization, he spotted the bug-like dropship gliding between some nearby mountains. What horrified Gordon was the last Strider, dangling from the dropship's claws. The dropship . . . was heading towards Green Base.

Gordon jumped back into the car and sped forward, praying to beat the aircraft before it reached Alyx.

---

The car felt slow. At least, it felt slow for Gordon. He was actually taking extreme turns at high speeds, almost flying off of the mountain a few times. Inside, he knew he was being reckless, but he needed to get to Green base before the dropship. A few minutes passed and Gordon finally spotted the gravel road leading towards the Base, moving deeper within a mountain forest.

The car jolted over each large rock he drove over, rattling his teeth each time. He was about to celebrate, thinking that he would win this race. He was wrong.

To his left, past the trees, Gordon could see the dropship lift from the forest floor, leaving the Strider to unfold. The behemoth groaned as it lifted from the leafy ground, towering over the treetops. It then began to crouch, ready to make a sprint for Green Base. The Strider moved forward, pulling ahead of Gordon, who cursed at its uncanny speed. He followed the monster farther up the mountain, unable to keep up. It pushed forward, making contact with the base.

Gordon could hear the loud sirens erupt up ahead, signaling that the Strider had arrived at his home. He tried pushing the car as fast as he could, but the vehicle sputtered, straining to gain speed. After a few seconds, the car flew out of the trees and into a small field. At the far end of the field was the entrance to the underground base: a concrete wall surrounding an oval bunker leading farther into the mountain. To Gordon's dismay, the Strider was casually walking up to the wall. The defending rebel's only had one rocket and all the Magnusson devises were being directed to the forces down at Ken Town. It would be easy pickings for the Strider.

Gordon could hear and see gunfire erupting from the tall wall, each bullet bouncing off of the Strider's armored bodice. The tripod gave out a loud moan before standing completely still in front of the base. Gordon's eyes grew wide with fear, knowing what was about to occur. It was about to send an energy blast towards the bunker, which would destroy half of the base, crushing it under the peak. Gordon activated the turbo on the car, sending the vehicle forward at blinding speed. He had no idea what he was going to do, but didn't want to stand around while the ones he loved got blown to bits. As he was rapidly approaching the Strider, Gordon could see his engine turn bright red with heat. The Strider's main gun looked like it was sucking the air around it, drawing energy towards its core. Gordon was now underneath the monster, when he carried out his half-brained plan.

Gordon jumped out of the car, turning his body in mid air. As the car was still moving, he flipped the Gravity gun from his back, pointing it at the Magnusson devise connected to the bumper as it passed. He pressed the primary trigger, drawing the explosive orb to his gun. His back then bounced off of the ground, sending pain down his spine. The female voice in his suit reminded the wearer of his fracture. He pushed the pain from his mind and pointed the explosive towards the Strider. In unison, Gordon pulled the secondary trigger, sending the devise towards the Strider's body. It stuck and let out a loud chirp signaling so. In one split second, he pulled his pistol out and pointed it at the bomb, gritting his teeth in fury.

"Good riddance."

He pulled the trigger, sending one bullet flying . . . strait into the Magnusson devise. The Strider gave out a triumphant whoot, before erupting in a shockwave filled with fire and debris. Flaming Strider parts and dark purple liquid flew in different directions, like a glorious firework display. Gordon sighed and closed his eyes, resting his head back into the tall grass.

'M.I.T.,' he thought. 'How did I go from M.I.T. graduate to this?'

In his mind, he chuckled. Suddenly, he remembered why he traveled up here in the first place.

He rose from the grass and ran towards the gate. The rebels patrolling the top of the wall cheered and clapped as Gordon sprinted through the large metal doors and across the small courtyard towards the Bunker.


	7. Chapter 7

After running in circles and asking countless rebels as to where Dr. Forest's office is, Gordon finally found the room. Inside, he found Alyx lying on the metal bed, covered in a paper 'dress'. Her legs her spread and almost in a crouching position. Red had replaced the coffee color of her skin, obviously from pushing a while. In between pushes, Alyx breathed long but fast breaths.

She looked up at her husband and smiled.

"Hi . . .Gordon. Glad you . . . could make it." Gordon almost laughed, but decided to act otherwise. He moved by his wife's side, grasping her hand. Dr. Forest spotted Gordon and spoke through her mask.

"Oh, Gordon. You're here." She sat in front of Alyx, able to see the whole process. "Now I need you to help Alyx though this."

Gordon nodded, understanding the good doctor. He gazed at Alyx, who glanced back, smiling in between breaths.

"All right Alyx," Dr. Forest softly spoke. "When I say push, I want you to give me a good push. Okay?"

Alyx swiftly nodded, feeling another wave of pain.

"Alyx . . . push!"

She did, giving out a grunt as she pushed. Her face scrunched and turned red from the pressure. She squeezed Gordon gloved hand, hoping to relieve stress from his gauntlet.

He gasped in pain from her grip, feeling something pop within his knuckles.

"_Minor fracture detected. Morphine administered." _Gordon's suit rang out. He felt the pain go away. He only wished that Alyx had the suit right now.

"Good, Alyx! Now give me another!" Forest called out.

Alyx gave out a soft scream through her clenched teeth, pushing hard.

"Great! One more, sweetie!"

Gordon squeezed Alyx's hand, drawing her attention to his face. He smiled as he mouthed the words "one more". She nodded, giving out one last push.

---

The baby girl was clean and wrapped in a white blanket. Dr. Forest handed Alyx new child, breathing her congratulations. Alyx looked down at the beautiful baby.

"Samantha." She whispered, exhausted from the ordeal. She gently caressed Samantha's face, tears welling up in her eyes. Gordon bent over to see his new girl, grinning like a fool. He softly pecked the sleeping baby on it's little nose. He then turned to Alyx and kissed her gently.

"You did it." He cooed.

Alyx's smile grew. 'This was a pretty hard objective,' she thought . . .

"We did it."

Gordon embraced his girls, wrapping his arms around his family. The speakers around the base activated again.

"The Combine has been defeated! It's over!"

Through the whole base, screams and cheers of joy could be heard. Even through the concrete walls, Gordon could hear muffled shouts.

The war was over for him. Now, his life would revolve around Alyx and Sam.

---

Barney and the surviving rebels wearily walked through the base's garage door. He was limping from a gunshot that had skimmed his thigh. The rebels around him were exhausted, each one either falling on the floor or leaning against the garage walls. Barney gave out a few raspy breaths, leaning his back for a stretch.

'That could have gone better.' His mind called out.

The door near the far end of the Garage opened, allowing Gordon to enter the large room. He slowly walked up to Barney, trying to keep Sam asleep. The former security guard spotted his friend and smiled. He dropped his gun and approached Gordon, looking down at the small treasure in his arms. Both men grinned at each other, not saying a word, so to keep quiet. Barney gazed at the baby for a moment, feeling a sense of happiness rise within him. He turned to the other rebels and waved.

The hundred rebels gathered around Gordon, each one gaining a chance to glimpse the baby. The room was uncannily silent, except for a few soft clanks from loose armor and guns. After a few minutes of congregation, the large group left the room, inspired to spent time with their own families. Barney and Gordon were now alone. They smiled.

"Congratulations." Barney grinned.

Gordon nodded his thanks. They embraced, careful not to disturb Samantha.

---

_Okay. Hope you liked it. If not, well, then I can't really do anything about that. :) I might do more stories about Samantha growing up. If, by any chance, you want to use Sam in your story, please send me a message. Of course, you could just create your own child for Alyx and Gordon. I'm just trying to create a universal character in the Half Life universe. If I'm an idiot for doing this, tell me. :) Thanks again!_


End file.
